Assaults on Police: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many assaults on police officers resulted in  (a) custodial and  (b) non-custodial sentences in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many cautions were issued in each of the last three years for triable offences.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants sentenced and given an immediate custody for an assault on a constable at all courts, in England and Wales for 2009 (latest available) is provided in table 1. This is a summary only offence which is charged where little or no physical harm is involved. Where there are more serious injuries this would result in a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and it is not possible to say how many convictions for this offence arise from assaults on police officers.
	The number of offenders cautioned for indictable only offences in England and Wales, 2007 to 2009 (latest available) is provided in table 2.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of defendants sentenced and given an immediate custody for assault on a constable( 1)  at all courts, England and Wales, 2009( 2,3) 
			  Statute  Offence  Sentenced  Custodial sentence  Other disposals( 4) 
			 Police Act 1996 Assault on a constable 9,201 1,457 7,744 
			 (1) Police Act 1996 s.89(1)-Assault on a constable. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort Is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their Inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Other disposals include: absolute discharge, conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of offenders cautioned1,2 for indictable only offences, England and Wales, 2007-09( 3) 
			   2007  2008  2009 
			 Indictable only 5,371 1,945 1,405 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice